Only about half of the diagnoses of heart failure are correct. The limitations of clinical judgment and complementary investigations are described in this article. Recently, BNP was found to be a good ... [more ▼]

Only about half of the diagnoses of heart failure are correct. The limitations of clinical judgment and complementary investigations are described in this article. Recently, BNP was found to be a good biological marker of ventricular dysfunction. Rapid and reliable BNP measurement is now available and the clinical value of this peptide was examined in many studies. The role of BNP in the diagnosis and management of heart failure will be increasing. [less ▲]